Machine for folding sheet metal.



R. T. WITHERS.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET METAL.

' APPLICATION FILE-D 11.5.1909. 95%,556, Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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R. T. WITHERS.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5.1909. 954,556, I Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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RQT. WlTHER-S. MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5. 1909. 954,556. Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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MACHINE FOR FOLDING SHEET METAL.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Application filed April 5, 1909. Serial No. 488,066.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT T. WITHERS, citizen of the United States,residing at New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Folding Sheet Metal, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to appliances used in the manufacture of sheetiron, and refers particularly to machines designed for folding ordoubling the sheets during the rolling process.

It is necessary, in the production of iron in the form of sheets or thinplates, when designed for special purposes, such, for instance as thoseused in the manufacture of tin plate, to reduce the thickness of thesheets to such a degree that the required gage cannot be obtained by theordinary methods of rolling, and in order to bring the plates to therequired dimensions, recourse is had to the well known expedient ofsuperposing two or more plates and then passing them through the formingrolls under pressure and while properly heated, thus obtaining sheetsmuch thinner than can be made by rolling a single layer or plate of thematerial.

It is a matter of common knowledge that tin plate is produced by dippingiron sheets or plates into molten tin. To make this material, which istechnically termed black plate, pieces of iron or steel of a standardsize are heated and passed between rolls that are placed as closetogether as it is practicable to work them. The sheets thus formor areyet much too thick for the purpose intended and in order to make themsufficiently thin the sheets are folded on doubled and after beingbrought to the proper temperature are again rolled. The plates are inthis way reduced to approximately one-half their former thickness. Thesesuperposed sheets are again doubled by folding, heated as before, andgiven a final rolling, thus producing four plates from the originalsingle sheet of approximately the same superficial dimensions but ofone-fourth the thickness presented by the single sheet.

The folding of the rolled sheets has heretofore been accomplished byhand work and so far as I am aware, machines adapted to successfullyaccomplish the desired results have not come into general use.

The chief objects of the improvements which form the subject matter ofthis application are :to produce a machine that will automatically foldor double sheets of iron fed thereto; to furnish means for flatteningthe sheets so doubled; to supply a shearing mechanism whereby the foldedsheets will be automatically trimmed to a predetermined length; and toprovide a simple, efficient and durable apparatus, that will accomplishthe desired results with rapidity.

Other objects of the invention, stated in detail, are :to provide amachine for the purpose stated that will adjust the plates so as to beproperly presented to the feed rolls, to furnish a clamping device forholding the sheet while being folded, and to supply means fordetermining the position of the fold in the plate to be doubled.

Further objects of the invention are, to furnish means for indicatingthe length of the sheet previous to being folded, to provide anadjustable gage for the shearing mechanism, and to arrange automaticmeans for removing the finished sheets from the machine.

I accomplish the desired results above stated, and others of importance,by means of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this application, the mechanism generally describedcomprising horizontal parallel rollers, upon which the plate to bedoubled is laid, and which form a conveyer therefor, feed rolls, amovable stop or gate arranged to be placed in the path of the advancingsheet, clamping folding and compressing mechanism, an automatic shearingdevice for trimming the sheet margins, operating levers convenientlyarranged at one end of the machine, and suitable driving mechanismarranged to move the conveyer and feed rolls continuously, and the sheetfolding, compressing and cutting devices intermittently.

In the drawing the various detailsof the construction are disclosed inthe following views Figure l is a side elevation of the completeapparatus, some portions of the frame being broken away to disclose themechanism beneath; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine; Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlargedfragmentary view showing the adjusting means for the pocket roll; Fig. 5is a fragbetween the side frame members 10.

mentary view, also enlarged, showing the segment ratchets; Figs. 6 and 7are sectional views on the lines 6-6 and 77, respectively, of Fig. 1;Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view, enlarged, of one end of the ratchet roll;Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view, showing the sheet clamp, and Fig. 10 is afragmentary sectional view showing a folded sheet clamped in positionfor the operation of flattening.

Referring to the details of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates theside members of a rectangular main frame, suitably connected by crosspieces 11, and supported on transverse sills 12. Intermediate its endsthe main frame is supplied with auxiliary frames, one of which isslightly inclined and comprises corner posts or standards 13, bolted tothe main frame, and connected by cross pieces and end plates 14. At asuitable distance to the rear of the frame 13 is a vertical frame havingupright standards 15 connected by tie beams 16. At the front end of themachine is located a platform or foot board 17, upon which the operatorstands and from which he controls the entire machine by means ofgoverning levers and accessories hereinafter described. Between thisfoot board and the auxiliary frame 13 are arranged horizontal tables orconveying rollers 18, extending transversely These rollers are furnishedwith suitable journals 19, 20, having their bearings in the said members10. The journals extend through the supporting frame member and upontheir ends are mounted sprocket wheels 21. Immediately beneath the frame15 is located a transverse table or conveying roller 22 and located inthe rear of this roller and in the same horizontal plane is a series ofsimilar conveying rollers 23, which are duplicates of the said conveyingrollers 18, and are journaled in the frame members 10 in like manner,their journal ends also carrying sprockets 21. Upon the shaft of theroller 22 is mounted a sprocket 24, driven by a vertical chain 25, whichextends upward to the top of the auxiliary frame 15 and there engages asprocket 26, keyed on a driving shaft 27, the latter being supported insuitable bearings or boxes 28. This shaft 27 carries a driving pulley29, which receives motion from any convenient source of power. The frontseries of table rollers 18, and the rear series 23 are driven from theroller 22 by means of a chain 30, which engages the sprockets 21. Inorder to insure proper engagement between the chain and sprockets idlers31 are arranged at suitable points, other supporting idlers 32preventing the chain from sagging to an undesirable extent.

In the inclined frame 13 are supported a pair of cooperating feed rolls33, 34, the

lower roll 33 being ournaled in a fixed bearing 35, while the upper roll34 is mounted in a box 39 adapted to move in slideways 37, formed on theframe 13, and the roll 34 is constantly urged toward its companion rollby compression springs 38, thus accommodating the rolls to receivesheets of different gage.

Upon the front of the feed roll frame 13 is mounted a movable stop orgate in the form of a plate 39, arranged to slide vertically in ways 40.This plate or stop extends below the plane of the upper sides of theconveying rollers 18, on which the sheets to be folded are laid, andwhen in its lowest position the said gate or plate will form a stop forthe advancing sheet and hold it. back until said. stop is removed fromthe path of the sheet, which is done by raising it by means to bedescribed, whereupon the sheet will be immediately driven to the feedrolls by the action of the table or conveying rollers 18. Upon the topof the said stop or gate 39 is a vertically projecting loop 41 formed bya bent rod, hinged at 42 to the upper edge of the gate so that itnormally leans from the perpendicular, as shown in Fig. 1. The loop canbe rocked on its hinges to a vertical position where it will be in thepath of and may be engaged by a hook 43, pendent from the front end of awalking beam 44. This beam is mounted on a rock shaft 45, journaled inboxes 45' secured to the frame 15, and is driven from a counter-shaft 46carried on a cross piece 47 attached to the said frame 15, and isconnected to a crank disk 48 on said counter-shaft, by a link 49. InFig. 1 the loop 41 is seen in its inclined or inoperative position, andif the walking eam 44 is now rocked on its axis, the hook 43 will clearthe said loop 41. To throw the loop to its vertical or operativeposition, so that it will be engaged by the said hook in its upwardmovement, the following mechanism is employed. Secured to the frame 13above the stop or gate 39 is a rod 50 bent into the form of a bail andturned at the ends to form bearings which en age eyes or boxes 51. Thisbail passes in front of the loop 41 and rests normally in the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2. One extremity of this rod or bail is benthorizontally forward to form a lifting arm 52, which is operated by theengagement therewith of the upper end of a rod 53, slidable in eyes 54attached to the frame 13. This rod is lifted in said eyes by means of abell-crank lever 55, connected by a rod 56 to a foot lever 57, in theform of a bellcrank lever, pivoted in the foot board 17. A weight 58 issuspended to an arm 59, at tached to the said loop 41, to insure therestoration of the loop to its inoperative position when released. Thefoot lever 57 has another function in addition to that of rocking theloop 41 to its engaging position, and that is to operate means foradjusting the sheets when laid upon the conveying rollers 18, sov thatthey will be properly presented to the feed rolls. This is accomplishedby means of a pair of adjusting arms 60 (Figs. 2 and 8) attached to ahorizontal rock shaft 61, mounted longitudinally to the main frame belowthe table rollers 18, and operatively connected with the rod 56 by alink 62, the proper direct-ion of the movement being obtained by meansof a suitable bell-crank lever 63, pivoted to the frame at 64, andconnected to the said rod 56 by a rod 65. hen a sheet of the material tobe folded is laid upon the table rollers 18, the operator will depressthe foot lever 57 and thus rock the shaft 61, bringing the arms 60 upbetween the adjacent rollers and in contact with the lateral edge of theplate or sheet, thus forcing it against a guide plate 66, supported uponbrackets 67 above the rollers 18, the position of the sheet thusadjusted or straightened, being shown in dotted outlines 68 in Fig. 2.

The counter-shaft 46 projects through the supporting frame and upon itsend carries a comparatively large gear wheel 69, which is rotated fromthe main shaft 27 by a train of gears 70, 71, 72, the latter gear beingkeyed to the said driving shaft, and the gears 70 and 71 journaled on astud shaft 73, fixed in the auxiliary frame. Thus geared down themovement of the shaft 46 is comparatively slow, so that the tablerollers 18, 22, and 23, will travel at a greater speed than thecounter-shaft and the mechanism moved thereby, and convey the sheetsquickly to and from the intermediate and more slowly operated devices.

Immediately behind the lower feed roller 33 is an important element ofthe sheet folding mechanism, consisting of a roll 74, mounted on a shaft75, journaled in the frame members 10. The function of this roll is todeviate one end of the sheet after it passes the feed rolls and thenhold that end stationary while the other portion of the sheet is beingadvanced by the action of the said feed rolls with the result that thesheet is bent in the middle taking the form shown in Fig. 10. The saidroll 7 t is furnished with a cylindrical segment shell 7 6, extendingabout half way around the circumference and having its lower marginsecured to a longitudinal spacing member 77 and its upper edge supportedat each end of the roll by a block 78, thus leaving an interval orpocket 79 between said shell and the body 74: of the roll. Thispocket-roll has a limited rocking movement on its shaft, and is operatedby the advance end of the sheet to be folded which enters the saidpocket as soon as it passes beyond the feed rolls. The shaft 7 5 isprovided at I one end with an arm 80, upon which is adjustably mounted asuitable weight 81. Anl other arm 82 is engaged by a stop 83 to maintainthe roll in its initial position with the mouth of the pocket 79 in thepath of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 1. The roll is limited in theopposite direction by an adjustable stop, consisting of a lever 84extending across the machine beneath the frame and pivoted about itsmiddle to one of the frame pieces 11 by a suitable bolt 85. This leverextends at one end into the path of the said arm 82, and at the other isconnected by a rod 86 to an operating lever 87 arranged at the front ofthe machine. This lever is provided with a'spring held locking dogadapted to engage suitable notches in a segment rack 88 arrangedadjacent to said lever, an indicating scale 88 facilitating the placingof the lever at the desired position.

Next to the pocket roll 74 is arranged a ratchet roll 89, mounted on ashaft 90, journaled in the frame members 10. This roll is drivenintermittently in one direction by means of rack-rods 91, pivoted at 92upon the ends of a fixed shaft 93, which transfixes the said walkingbeam 4A. The lower ends of the rack-rods are furnished with racks 94which are in mesh at each side of the machine with pinions 95 looselymounted on the roll shaft 90. The racks are held in engagement with thesaid pinions by a retaining rod 96. Each pinion is attached to a crownratchet disk or wheel 97, having teeth 98 engaging similar teeth on thebody of the roll 89. These ratchets 97 are yieldingly held in mesh bycoiled springs 100 embracing the shaft 90 upon the outer side of eachpinion 95. It will be readily under stood that when the forward end ofthe walking beam ascends the racks will rotate the roll 89, and when thebeam descends the ratchets will yield, the roll remaining at rest untilthe walking beam is again on the upward stroke. Above the ratchet roll89 and cooperating therewith when the latter is rotated, is a bindingroll 101, having a roughened or corrugated surface 102. This roll isshorter than the roll 89 and is ar- 1 ranged midway between the mainframe sides, its shaft 103 being journaled in the ends of parallel sidemembers 104: of an auxiliary frame, connected by a flattening plate 104The other ends of these auxiliary frame members are pivoted at 105 to afixed frame member 106. This frame is swung vertically upon the centers105 by links 107 pivoted at their lower ends to the shaft 103 andconnected at their upper ends to a cross bar 108, extending upon bothsides of the said walking beam 44. The upper ends of said links 107 arefurnished with longitudinal slots 109 which permit of considerable lostmotion, so that the roll 102 will remain in contact with the cooperatingroll 89, or an interposed metal sheet 68, except when the walking beamis at the upper end of the stroke, and when the beam is at the end ofthe down stroke the adjustment is such that the required amount ofpressure will be exerted by the binding roll upon the folded sheet, whenthe latter has reached this locality in its rearward movement.

Immediately to the rear of the ratchet roll 89 is a bed plate 110 whichhas a slightly inclined upper face arranged about on a level with thetop of the said ratchet roll. Above the said bed plate, andcorresponding in superficial dimensions therewith, is a compressionplate, or press 111, having its lower surface substantially parallelwith the upper surface of the bed plate 110. The upper face of thispress is provided with ears 112-, to which are pivoted link arms 113,having their forward ends pivoted on the shaft 103 of the corrugatedroller 101. The said press is supported from a transverse arm 114,projecting on both sides of the walking beam 44 by connecting rods 115.

After the sheets have been doubled in the manner hereinafter described,it will be necessary to trim the ends of the sheet, and for this purposea shearing or cutting apparatus is installed at the rear of the press111 and operatively connected with the walking beam. This shearingmechanism consists of a vertical frame plate 116, moving in slideways117, on the uprightmembers 15 of the vertical auxiliary frame. Thisplate is reciprocated by links 118 pivoted to the rear end of thewalking beam 44, at 119. A cutter bar 120 is secured to the lower marginof said frame plate 116 by suitable bolts 121, and is adapted tocooperate with a fixed cutting member 122, in the ordinary manner ofsuch devices. In order to clamp the plate firmly while being sheared, aspringheld piston or plunger 123 is fixed to the rear face of the cutterframe and this projects below the cutter bar 120, thus engaging thesheet or plate to be out before the shearing members are brought intocontact. Immediately below the shears is arranged a suitable receptacle124 to catch the scraps sheared from the plate margins. During thecutting process the sheet operated upon will lie on the rear tablerollers 23, and in order that the operator, who stands at the oppositeend of the machine, may be able to control the position of the sheetrelatively to the shearer, an ad justing stop or gage is provided. Thiscomprises a plate 125, adapted to be slidden horizontally by means of alever 126, pivoted at 127 to the frame, and having its upper end 128attached to the rear edge of said gage plate 125. A rod 129 connects thelower end of the lever 126 to an operating lever 130 mounted upon thefoot board 17. The said lever 130 has the usual springheld dog 131,adapted to engage a suitable ratchet 132. An indicating scale 133 having.graduations corresponding to the teeth of the ratchet, enables theoperator to readily set the gage 125 at the opposite end of the machineat any predetermined distance from the shearing line, so that the sheetmay be properly sheared. The trimmed sheet is removed from the tablerolls 23 by means of an automatic dumping device, comprising arms 134,arranged to rise and fall in the spaces between adjacent rolls. Thesearms are hinged at 135 to the main frame member 10, and are operated byrock-arms 136, fixed on a rock-shaft 137, arranged transversely to thelevers 134. The forward end of the rock-shaft extends beneath the cutterplate 116, and carries a segment gear 138, which is operated by a rack139 on the lower end of an arm 140, secured to the plate 116. The upperends of the arms 136 are adapted to engage inclined faces 141 on thedumping arms 134. hen the plate 116 is in its highest position, shown inFig. 7, the arms 134 will be raised and inclined at an angle that willcause the plate if there is one thereon to slide clear of the machineand fall upon the floor. As the cutter frame descends the arms 134 willresume their hori- Zontal position to permit the next plate to becarried upon the rollers 23, where it will be stopped as before by thegage 125 in proper position for trimming.

During the operation of compressing the bent plate to flatten it by thedescent of the press 111 and the binding roll 101,- the rear end of thesheet or plate 68, which is now free from the feed rollers, will beliable to slip and to prevent this I provide a clamping device forholding this end firmly. Said device comprises a lever 142 (Fig. 9)arranged in a slot 143 in the frame piece 106, and rockable on a pivot144. The lower end of said lever terminates in a projection or jaw 145,having an eccentric cam face adapted to engage the sheet 68, theconstruction being clearly shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Projecting in anopposite direction is an arm 146, to which is pivotally con nected a rod147, which extends upward and is connected to the walking beam 44 by apin 148 which plays in a longitudinal slot 149 in said rod, thusallowing the proper amount of lost motion. The lever 142 is furnishedwith an adjustable weight 150, sutliciently heavy to hold the eccentriccam or jaw 145 in engagement with the sheet 68 until released by thedownward movement of the walking beam 44.

The process of doubling, flattening, compressing, and finally oftrimming thin iron sheets, is accomplished by operating the machinehereinbefore described in the following manner. The operator takes hisstand at the front of the machine upon the foot board 17, so as to beconvenient to the gate controlling lever 57, the pocket roll stop lever87 and the gage lever 130. The shaft 27 is driven at a uniform rate ofspeed and the conveying rolls 18 and 23 will be in constant rotation,the direction in which this driving chain moves being indicated by thearrow a. A single or more sheets 68 of the material to be operated uponis then thrown upon the rollers 18 and will be carried by them againstthe gate 39, which will be in its down position, and the sheet will bethus kept from advancing so long as the gate blocks the way. The sheetswhich are to be doubled will be of various lengths and will sometimeshave one edge uneven while the other is sufliciently true, and for thesereasons the line of the fold where the sheet is doubled will require tobe correspondingly adjusted relatively to the said sheet. In order toenable the operator to determine the exact length of the sheet, a scale151 is marked upon the foot board 17 and the graduations thereon aremeasured from the face of the gate as a base, so that the near edge ofthe sheet will coincide with the division corresponding with its length.Having inspected the condition of the sheet margins and noted its lengththe operator then moves the lever 87 so as to correspond with therequired adjustment of the pocket roll movement, which, it will beunderstood, determines the relative position of the line of the bendupon each sheet. For instance if it is desired to fold the sheet, say,two inches from the center line, the lever 87 will be shifted to thecorresponding notch of the indicating scale 182. As provision is madefor trimming the edges of the sheet after each bending process in orderto keep the edges true, the gage 125 must then be set to give the properout. As the sheet will have been folded to approximately half itsoriginal length before it impinges against the said gage the operatorwill take this fact into consideration in setting the gage lever 130.For instance, if the sheet, as indicated by the scale 151, is 61 inchesand the sheet is to be folded in the middle, the lever will be set at30, and in this case approximately one half inch will be sheared fromeach layer of the doubled sheet when the cutter descends. Thesepreliminary adjustments having thus been made, while the sheet 68 isurged against the obstructing gate, the next step will be to raise thelatter and allow the sheet to pass to the feed rollers 38, 34c. IVaitinguntil the walking beam 44: has finished its down stroke and iscommencing to ascend, the operator then places his foot upon the lever57, which will throw the loop 41 into the path of the ascending hook 43and at the same time operate the rock shaft 44 the arm 60 at the sametime engaging the margin of the sheet and thrusting it against the guide66, so that it will lie straight with the feed rolls. As the hook 43rises it will engage the said loop and as soon as the gate or stop 39 israised to a sufficient height. to clear the plate sheet 68 the latterwill be thrust between the feed rollers and be forced on by them untilit enters the pocket 79. The pocket roll 'Tt being free to move on itscenters, the sheet, which has not yet left the feed rolls, will rotatethe said pocket roll until the arm 82 is engaged by the stop lever 8awhich has been previously adjusted as stated above. The advance end ofthe sheet 68 will thus be held stationary while the rolls continue tofeed the rear end which will cause the sheet to be thrown into a loop orbight 68 beneath the press 111 as shown in Fig. 10. The movement of thewalking beam at this stage will be downward, bringing the binding roll101 and the press 111 down upon the bight or bend (38 and thus flattenthe sheet out upon the bed-plate 110. During this compression of thesheet there is more or less tendency to draw the upper end of thedoubled sheet more than the lower, which is still wedged in the pocket79, andthis is prevented by the clamp jaw 145 which engages the sheetjust as it leaves the feed rollers and before the press has had time toact. As soon as released by the upward movement of the press, the foldedsheet will be carried by the cooperative movement of the ratchet andbinding rolls upon the conveying rollers 22, 28, and it will travelbackward until stopped by the gage 125, where it will remain until theaction of the cutter has trimmed the determined amount from the sheetedges, and as the cutter frame ascends it will operate the rock shaft toraise the dumping arms 134 to their inclined position, and the trimmedsheet will slide by gravity from the table rolls to the floor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, is

1. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet-feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for checking or delaying the movement of the sheet from theconveying rolls to the feeding rolls, means for adjusting the sheetrelative to the feeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet, means forgaging the location of the bend in the sheet, and means for compressingthe doubled sheet.

2. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for delaying the movement of the sheet from the conveying rolls tothe feed ing rolls, means for adjusting the sheet relative to thefeeding rolls, means for bending the sheet, means for gaging thelocation of the bend in the sheet, means for compressing the doubledsheet, and means for shearing the margins of the compressed sheet.

3. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for adjusting the sheet upon the conveying rolls relative to thefeeding rolls, means for delaying the movement of the sheet from theconveying rolls to the feeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet,means for gaging the location of the bend in the sheet, means forcompressing the doubled sheet, means for shearing the margins of thecompressed sheet and a gage for POSitl011 ing the sheet relative to theshearing means.

i. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for adjusting the sheet \vhile upon the conveying rolls relativeto the feeding rolls, means for delaying the movement of the sneet fromthe conveying rolls to the feeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet,means for gaging the location of the bend in the sheet, means forcompressing the doubled sheet, means for clamping one end of the sheetWhile being compressed, means for shearing the margins of the sheetsubsequent to compression, a gage for positioning the sheet relativelyto the shearing means and means for automatically removing the sheetfrom the shearing table.

5. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for adjusting the sheet While upon the conveying rolls relative tothe feeding rolls, means for delaying the movement of the sheet from theconveying rolls to the feeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet,means for gaging the location of the bend in the sheet, means forcompressing the doubled sheet, means for clamping one end of the sheetwhile being compressed, means for shearing the margins of the sheetsubsequent to compression, a gage for positioning the sheet relativelyto the shearing means and means for automatically removing the sheetfrom the shearing table.

6. In a. machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for adjusting the sheet \vhile upon the conveying rolls, means fordelaying the movement of the sheet from the conveying rolls to thefeeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet, said doubling meanscomprising a pocket roll arranged in the path of the advancing sheet andadapted to be engaged by the end of the sheet, means for compressing thedoubled sheet, means for shearing the margins of the compressed sheetand a gage for positioning the sheet relatively to the shearing means.

7. In a machine of the class described, asupporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for adjusting the sheet relative to the feeding rolls, means fordelaying the movement of the sheet from the conveying rolls to thefeeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet, said doubling meanscomprising a pocket roll arranged in the path of the advancing sheet andadapted to deviate the end of the sheet to form a bend, means for gagingthe location of the bend in the sheet, means for compressing the doubledsheet, shears for trimming the compressed sheet, devices for conveyingthe sheet from the compressing means to the shears, and a gage forpositioning the sheet relative to the shears.

8. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for adjusting the sheet relative to the feeding rolls, means fordelaying the movement of the sheet from the conveying rolls to thefeeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet, said doubling meanscomprising a pocket roll adapted to deviate the advancing end of thesheet to form a bend in said sheet, means for gaging the location of thebend in the sheet, a press for flattening the doubled sheet, means forclamping one end of the sheet While being flattened, means for shearingthe doubled sheet, means for conveying the sheet from the said press tothe shearing means, said conveying means comprising a ratchet rolladapted to be intermittently operated, and a binding roll cooperatingwith said ratchet roll, an adjustable stop for positioning the sheetrelatively to the shearing means, and means for automatically removingthe sheet from the shearing table.

9. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame and arranged to receive the sheet from the conveying rolls,means for adjusting the sheet relative to the feeding rolls, means fordelaying the movement of the sheet from the conveying rolls to thefeeding rolls, means for doubling the sheet, said doubling meanscomprising a pocket roll journaled in said frame adjacent to the feedingrolls, a pocket in said roll arranged in the path of the advancingsheet, and adapted to be engaged thereby to operate the pocket roll, andform a bend in the sheet, a stop limiting the movement of the pocketroll to gage the location of the bend in the sheet, a press forflattening the doubled sheet, means for clamping the sheet while beingflattened, shears for trimming the flat-- tened sheet, means forconveying the sheet from the press to the shears, said conveying meanscomprising a roll adapted to be intermittently operated and a bindingroll cooperating with said ratchet roll, an adj ustable stop forpositioning the sheet relatively to the shears, and means for removingthe trimmed sheet from the machine.

10. In a machine of the class described, including a supporting frameand sheet conveying, adjusting, and feeding means arranged on saidframe, sheet doubling means comprising a pocket roll journaled on saidframe, a pocket on said roll adapted to be engaged by the advancingsheet for the purpose of deviating the end of the sheet to form a bendtherein, adjustable means for limiting the movement of said roll, todetermine the location of the bend, means for flattening the sheet afterbeing bent, and means for trimming the margins of the flattened sheet.

11. In a machine of the class described, including a supporting frame,sheet conveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mountedon said frame, means for adjusting the sheet relative to the feedingrolls, sheet doubling means comprising a sheet deviating roll journaledon said frame, a pocket on said deviating roll adapted to be engaged bythe sheet for the purpose of forming a bend in said sheet, means forgaging the location of the bend in the sheet, means for flattening thesheet after being doubled, shears for trimming the margins of theflattened sheet, means for conveying the flattened sheet to the shears,said conveying means comprising a ratchet roll, adapted to be operatedintermittently, and a binding roll provided with a corru gated surface,and a gage for adjusting the sheet relative to the shears.

12. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame, means for adjusting the sheet relative to the feeding rolls,means for delaying the movement of the sheet from the conveying rolls tothe feeding rolls, sheet doubling means arranged on the frame adjacentto said feeding rolls, means for gaging the position of the bend in thesheet, means for compressing the bent sheet, said compressing meanscomprising a fixed plate mounted on said frame, an auxiliary framepivoted on said supporting frame, a

compression plate carried by said auxiliary frame, and means fortrimming the margins of the compressed plate.

13. In a machine of the class described, including a supporting frame,sheet conveying rolls, and sheet feeding rolls mounted on said frame,the combination with the said frame of sheet-doubling means comprising asheet deviating roll arranged adjacent to the sheet feeding rolls, saidcleviating roll adapted to be engaged and operated by the sheet for thepurpose of bending the sheet, means for compressing the bent sheetincluding an auxiliary frame pivoted upon the said supporting frame, acompression plate mounted on said auxiliary frame, a fixed plate mountedon said supporting frame and cooperating with said compression plate,means for trimming the edges of the compressed sheet, means forconveying the compressed sheet to the trimming means, said conveyingmeans comprising a ratchet roll arranged below the path of the sheet andadapted to have an intermittent movement, and a binding roll journaledon said auxiliary frame and adapted to cooperate with said ratchet roll,means for gaging the position of the sheet relative to the trin'imingmeans, and means for removing the finished plate from the machine.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination With asupporting frame, sheet conveying rolls mounted on said frame, and sheetfeeding rolls mounted on said frame, of sheet doubling means comprisinga sheet deviating roll arranged parallel With said feeding rolls andadjacent thereto, means on said roll adapted to be engaged by theadvancing sheet to operate said roll, an adjustable stop limiting themovement of the deviating roll in one direction, sheet compressing meanscomprising a fixed plate mounted on said supporting frame below the pathof the sheet, an auxiliary frame pivoted on said supporting frame abovethe path of the sheet, a compression plate mounted on said auxiliaryframe and cooperating with said fixed plate to form a press, means forshearing the margins of the compressed sheet, and a gage for positioningthe sheet relative to the shearing means.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination with asupporting frame, sheet conveying rolls mounted on the frame, and sheetfeeding rolls mounted on said frame, of sheet doubling means comprisinga pocket roll arranged in the path of the sheet after it leaves thefeeding rolls and adapted to be operated by the sheet, means forcompressing the sheet comprising an auxiliary frame pivoted on saidsupporting frame, a compression plate on said auxiliary frame above thepath of the sheet, a fixed plate mounted on said supporting frame andcooperating with the compression plate to form a press, shearing meanson the supporting frame, means for conveying the sheet from the press tothe shearing means, and means for removing the sheet from the machine.

16. In a machine of the class described, the combination with asupporting frame, sheet conveying rolls mounted on the frame, and sheetfeeding rolls mounted on said frame, of sheet doubling means arrangedadjacent to said sheet feeding rolls, sheet compressing means comprisingan auxiliary frame pivoted upon said supporting frame, a compressionplate mounted upon said auxiliary frame above the path of the sheet, afixed plate mounted upon the said supporting frame below the path of thesheet, means for shearing the margins of the compressed sheet, and meansfor conveying the sheet from the compression plates to the shearingmeans, said conveying means including a roll arranged below the path ofthe sheet and adapted to be intermittently operated, and a binding rolljournaled in said auxiliary frame above the path of the sheet.

17. In a machine of the class described, the combination with asupporting frame, of sheet conveying rolls mounted on the frame, sheetfeeding rolls mounted on said frame, means for adjusting the sheetrelative to the feeding rolls, sheet doubling means arranged adjacent tosaid sheet feeding rolls, sheet compressing means compris ing a fixedand a movable plate arranged upon opposite sides of the path of thesheet and cooperating to form a press, shearing means adapted to trimthe margins of the compressed sheet and an adjustable stop to positionthe sheet relative to the shearing means.

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination with asupporting frame,

of sheet conveying rolls mounted on the frame, sheet feeding rollsmounted on said frame, sheet doubling means arranged adjacent to saidfeeding rolls, means for compressing the doubled sheet, means forshearing the compressed sheet, and operative means comprising a mainshaft journaled in said supporting frame, a counter-shaft operativelyconnected to the main shaft and a walking beam connected to said countershaft.

19. In a machine of the class described, a supporting frame, sheetconveying rolls mounted on said frame, sheet feeding rolls mounted onsaid frame, means for adjusting the sheet relative to the feeding rolls,means for delaying the movement of the sheet from the conveying rolls tothe feeding rolls, a scale for indicating the length of the sheet, meansfor doubling the sheet after it has left the feeding rolls, means forcompressing the doubled sheet, means for shearing the compressed sheet,and operative means comprising a main shaft, a counter-shaft, gearingconnecting the counter-shaft with the main shaft, and a walking-beamoperatively connected with the counter shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT T. XVITHERS.

lVitnesses JOHN DONNELLAN, WALTER DONNELLAN.

